Brushing Ink on Glossy Paper with a BlenderThis is a technique that I like because it looks just like watercolors, but it's on glossy paper and dries very quickly. You can use this technique on regular paper as well. This is a quick project, but it gives a nice look.
How it works is that I stamped this beautiful Kodomo image, Fanning Lady, with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto glossy cardstock and let it sit and dry for a while (make sure it's dry! heat-set it if you need to). Then, with a dark blue marker (B99) I dabbed a spot of color onto a piece of acrylic. This is my palette. I took a watercolor brush that you can fill with liquid and I filled it with Copic Colorless blender. Now I've got a super juicy watercolor brush that works with Copics.Remember back to my earlier posts on blending with glossy paper, once you put a color down, you can't really lighten it up when you are working with Copics. You also couldn't get one dark blue marker to look so light. With this technique you can apply lots of levels of thin color and build up a darker shade with natural blends and it won't give you streaks and ugly dye edges like you would see when using the marker directly on the paper.
Watercoloring with Copics has made me better with regular watercolors. When I turn in artwork to galleries I usually wtercolor it. I was never good at watercolors untill I started coloring with Copics.
Why would I use a brush filled with blender, isn't a Sketch or Ciao colorless blender good enough? The blender markers aren't juicy enough for applying ink in this manner. They dry too quickly for it to really look like watercolors. With this blender-filled brush however, I can squeeze out extra blender as I need it to get the smoothest, juiciest flow of ink. On glossy paper it doesn't take much since it will start to blob and spread, but it's a look you can't get on glossy paper with watercolors alone. This is also a great way to color vellum smoothly. This technique works best with dark colors.Here is my final image. It looks like I used a lot more colors than I actually did because of the nature of laying down lots of thin ink layers. I used B99, E02, G28, Y17, and YG09. I hope you get a chance to try this technique, not just on glossy paper. This would work well on SU! paper as well as watercolor paper or any papers that Copic markers may not regularly work on.
ohhhhh this is awesome! thanks for another usefull lesson!!
ReplyDeletehugs Ria
wow what a fabulous tip. Hugs rachxx
ReplyDeleteHi Marianne,
ReplyDeleteThis may seem like a silly question, but what stops the marker from drying and staining the acrylic? or does the colorless blender pull the color off the acrylic?
Hoping to make your class in Phoenix, AZ.
Do you have classes figured out yet?
Take care,
Di
THe marker does dry on the acrylic, that's why you need to re-wet it with a blender. It doesn't stain the acrylic because there are no pores for it to seep into.
ReplyDeleteyou continue to amaze me... thanks for a great tip
ReplyDeleteHi Marianne,
ReplyDeleteSince day one I've followed your blog (RSS Feed). I'm always delighted to see a new post waiting in my In-Box. Your instructions are clear, precise and ever so helpful. One of my 2009 goals is to set aside time to practice all the great Copic Tips you’ve so generously shared. I love my Copic Sketch markers and my technique has improved considerably - thanks to you and Ellen Hutson. Now my problem is I enjoy coloring my images more than making cards with them – which is the point of creating colored images!
There are probably thousands who absorb every word you write without actually logging on to your blog ever day. After reading the last downloaded feed, I realized that I have never commented on your awesome contributions to the craft/art world. Thank you seems inadequate but – THANK YOU!
-mary
Great example Marianne! Thanks for the great description!
ReplyDeleteTake care and STAY POSITIVE!